Food Handler

Certification
Study Guide
Welcome to the Food Handler Certification Study Guide!

In this guide, you will learn about safe food handling practices and prepare for the Food Handler
Certification Exam. Learning safe food handling practices will help you to protect yourself and
others from becoming sick from food or drink and will give you valuable job skills for the food
service industry. After passing the exam, you will receive a Food Handler Certificate that is valid
for five years.

How to Use this Study Guide

We highly recommend that you read all the chapters and answer the study questions at the end of
each chapter to test your knowledge. The answers to the study questions and a list of definitions can
be found at the back of the study guide. Pay special attention to the Chapter Review sections as well
as the information boxes, such as the one at the bottom of this page.

You can choose to prepare for the exam by studying this guide and either taking the Food Handler
Full Day Class offered by the Region of Peel, or studying at home before you take the exam. Both
options are described below.

1. Food Handler Full Day Class

In the class, instructors will review the information in the study guide and answer any questions you
have about safe food handling. You will also watch videos and participate in activities. Before you
come to the class, we recommend that you read the study guide and answer the study questions at the
end of each chapter. The certification exam will take place at the end of the class.

2. Home Study
This study guide has all the information you need to successfully pass the exam. If you are studying
the guide on your own, you must call the Region of Peel at 905-799-7700 to book an appointment for
the Food Handler Certification Home Study Exam.

The Exam
The exam consists of 50 questions with multiple choice answers. To pass the course you will need to
answer at least 35 out of 50 questions correctly (70%).

Take your time learning the information and enjoy!

Remember!
If you have any questions regarding the
Food Handler Certificate course or exam,
call the Region of Peel at 905-799-7700 and
speak to a Public Health Inspector.
 Table of Contents

Introduction to Foodborne Illness……………………………………………..5

Chapter 1

Public Health Laws and the Food Handler.……..………..........................6

Chapter2

Micro-organisms in Food………………………………………….…………..15
Chapter 3

Food Contamination….…………………………………………………………29
Chapter 4

Understanding Foodborne Illness & Allergies……………………………..42

Chapter 5

Wash, Rinse and Sanitize ……………………………………..……………….56

Chapter 6

Flow of Food……………………………………………………………………...69
Chapter 7

HACCP: A System to Keep Food Safe…………………………………..…….87

Chapter 8

Taking Care of a Food Premises ……….……………………….……………94

Chapter 9

Pest Prevention………………..………………………………….………….…102

Answers to Exercises and Study Questions………………………..……..109

Definitions………………………………………………………………….…...114
Appendices

Appendix A

Where to Find Ontario Laws……………………………………...………....119

Appendix B

Temperature Chart……………………….…………………………..….……120

Appendix C

Common Foodborne Illness Pathogens……………………..…….………121

Appendix D

Correct Handwashing Procedure Poster …………………………………122

Appendix E

Wash, Rinse and Sanitize in a Three-Compartment Sink Poster …..123

Appendix F

Wash, Rinse and Sanitize in a Two-Compartment Sink Poster………124

Appendix G

How to Safely Make a Salad ………………………………..….……..……..125

Appendix H

7 Steps of a HACCP Plan ……………………………………..….…………..126

Introduction to Foodborne Illness

Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, is what happens when a person becomes
sick after eating food or drinking a beverage that is unsafe. Learning how to safely handle food
is important because your actions can prevent foodborne illness.

Most foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria that you cannot see, smell, or taste. By
understanding how to prevent bacteria from growing and using safe food handling practices
that are presented in this guide, you can protect your customers and yourself.

People with a foodborne illness can have:

nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
abdominal pain
headache
fever
dehydration

Most people with a foodborne illness get better quickly, but in some cases there can be long-
term problems and even death. Seniors, young children, pregnant women and people with
weak immune systems are most likely to become very sick.

Everyone involved in the food industry has a role to play in making sure the food we eat is
safe. This guide describes your roles and responsibilities as a food handler and all the
information you need to become a safe and certified food handler.

Did you know…

In 2011, there were over 800 cases of foodborne illness
in the Region of Peel, and many more cases were never
reported. In fact, it is estimated that one in ten people
who live in Peel Region experiences a foodborne
illness every year.
 Chapter 1
Public Health Laws and the
Food Handler
Public Health Laws
Laws
In Ontario, there are three different types of law that protect our health; Acts, Regulations and
By-laws. These are described below.

1. An Act is a law that describes who is in charge and what their responsibilities are to take
care of the public.

The Health Protection and Promotion Act is a provincial law for Ontario. This Act gives
food premises operators the responsibility to follow the standards in the Food Premises
Regulation. It also gives local health departments and Public Health Inspectors the
responsibility to inspect food premises to make sure the standards are being met. Food
premises are places that serve food to the public including restaurants, food take-outs,
cafeterias, grocery stores, daycares, hospitals, nursing homes, and homes for the elderly.

2. A Regulation is a part of an Act that describes specific standards that need to be

followed.

The Food Premises Regulation (Ontario Reg. 562) is a provincial law under the Health
Protection and Promotion Act. This regulation explains the minimum health standards for all
food premises in Ontario.

An example of one of the Food Premises Regulation standards is that hazardous food in
a refrigerator must be stored at 4°C (40°F) or colder.

Remember!
Food handlers must follow these standards while
Public Health Inspectors make sure the standards are
being met when doing their inspections.
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 2
Micro-organisms in Food
Micro-
Micro-organisms Cause Foodborne Illness
Foodborne illness is caused by harmful things that get into food (or drink), making it
unsafe. These harmful things are also known as contaminants. This chapter will focus on the
biological (living) contaminants that cause food to become unsafe.

What are micro-organisms?

Micro-organisms are very small living things and can

be safe or harmful for our health.

Safe micro-organisms are an important part of making

food such as yogurt, beer, cheese and bread. These
micro-organisms are safe to eat.

Harmful micro-organisms are called pathogens.

Pathogens are not safe to eat, and can cause → Micro means very small
someone to become sick. Some examples of → Organism means life form
pathogens include: Salmonella bacteria, Hepatitis A → Pathogen means harmful
virus and Giardia parasite. micro-organism

Where are pathogens found?

Raw food such as meat, poultry and fish

Unclean food preparation equipment such as mixers, slicers, blenders, can openers,
spoons, knives, pots, pans, tables, cutting boards and gloves
People, especially a person’s hands, nose, mouth and bodily wastes (feces and urine)
Insects such as cockroaches and flies
Rodents such as mice and rats
Polluted air, soil and water
Four Types of Micro
Micro-
cro-Organisms

There are four types of micro-organisms that cause foodborne illness.

1. Bacteria

Bacteria cause most foodborne illnesses in Canada. You cannot see, smell or taste
bacteria, which makes it difficult to know whether your food has been contaminated
(made unsafe).

When heated to a temperature of 74°°C

(165°F) or hotter, bacteria will die. For more
information on how temperature affects
bacteria, see page 22.

Examples of bacteria that cause foodborne

illness include Salmonella, Campylobacter
and E. coli.

Picture of bacteria
2. Viruses

Viruses are the smallest type of microorganism. They can be found in water, ice, raw fish
and raw unwashed fruits and vegetables that have come in contact with animal or
human feces. Viruses are most likely spread by a food handler who is infected with the
virus and/or has poor personal cleanliness.

Examples of viruses that cause foodborne illness include Hepatitis A and Norovirus.

Picture of a virus
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 3
Food Contamination

The Food handler Who Worked While Sick

The owner of a small business with 3 different locations ordered
lunch for all of the staff every Saturday. One Sunday, all of his
staff became sick with vomiting and diarrhea. Even though his
staff worked in three different places, they had all eaten food from
the same restaurant. A Public Health Inspector was called to
investigate and found that the staff were all sick with Norovirus
and that a line cook at the restaurant was sick with vomiting and
diarrhea a couple of days earlier. The cook said he felt fine on
Saturday and returned to work. To prevent contaminating food
when sick, the Public Health Inspector informed the staff that they
should stay away from handling food until the symptoms are gone
for at least 24 hours before returning to work.
Food Contamination

Food becomes contaminated when harmful things get in or on it, making it unsafe to eat.

Contamination can happen:

at the farm
when delivering
when storing
when preparing
when cooking
when serving
when food is on display

There are three types of food contamination:

1) Biological Contamination: To review the harmful micro-organisms or pathogens that

can contaminate food, see Chapter 2: Micro-organisms in Food.

2) Chemical Contamination: Chemicals that contaminate food include pesticides,

flavour enhancers such as MSG, cleaning supplies and smoke. Chemicals can come into
contact with food directly, such as chemicals sprayed onto food, or indirectly, such as from
food containers or utensils that were sprayed with cleaning supplies before touching food.

To prevent chemical contamination:

Store food in food grade containers. Do not reuse plastic containers such as
commercial yogurt containers as they are created only for one time use
After opening a metal can of food or drink, store the food or drink in a different
container- the metal can react with the food and air and create harmful chemicals that
can contaminate the food
Use and store all cleaning supplies away from food and food contact surfaces except
for when sanitizing surfaces
3) Physical Object Contamination: Physical objects such as broken glass, hair, gum,
bandages, insects or pieces of equipment can contaminate food.

To prevent physical object contamination:

Inspect food when opening pre-packaged food items
Do not keep glass or other breakable items near food
preparation areas
Do not eat, drink or chew gum while working
If you are wearing a bandage on your hand, make sure
that you wear a clean, disposable glove on that hand to
prevent the bandage from falling into food
Keep your hair from falling into food by using a hairnet,
hair-tie, cap, or chefs hat
Do not prepare food in areas that are under renovation or
construction

How Contamination Happens

Contamination can happen in three different ways:

1. Food to Food Contamination

Food to food contamination happens when one food item spreads contaminants to another
food item. Some examples of this include raw meats or poultry juices dripping on cooked or
ready-to-eat food in the refrigerator, mixing leftover food items with freshly made food, or
mixing raw food ingredients with food that is already cooked.

To Prevent Food to Food Contamination in the Refrigerator and Freezer:

Keep refrigerator(s) and freezer(s) clean
Cover or wrap all food items separately- especially meats/poultry/seafood
Label and date food
Store raw food (especially raw meats/poultry/seafood) on the lowest shelves
Store cooked food and food that need to be reheated on a middle shelves
Store food that is ready to eat on the highest shelves
Keep all food at least 15 cm (6 inches) off of the floor in walk-in refrigerators/freezers
See poster for preventing food contamination in a refrigerator on page 32
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 4
Understanding
Foodborne Illness & Allergies
Foodborne Illness

Foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning, happens when

a person eats contaminated (unsafe) food or drinks a
contaminated beverage. The contamination can be caused by
bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals.

People can experience different symptoms with foodborne

illnesses. Common symptoms include stomach cramps, fever,
chills, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Symptoms can
begin immediately after eating a contaminated food or even a
few weeks after, making it difficult to know what food caused
the illness. Most symptoms begin several hours to several days
after eating the contaminated food.

Most foodborne illnesses are caused by bacteria with symptoms lasting only for a few days.
Speak to a doctor if symptoms are severe or last for a long time.

Anyone Can Get a Foodborne Illness

Health Canada estimates that between 11-13 million

Canadians experience foodborne illness each year. Young
children, elderly people and those who have a weak
immune system (e.g. cancer or diabetes) have a greater risk
of suffering from the most serious side effects of foodborne
illness, which includes organ damage, coma or even death.
Types of Foodborne Illness

There are three types of foodborne illnesses.

1. Foodborne Infection

A foodborne infection happens when a person eats food that is contaminated with harmful
micro-organisms (pathogens).

The most common type of foodborne infection is caused by harmful bacteria which can
come from human and animal waste (urine and feces). If food contaminated with bacteria is
eaten, the number of bacteria grow inside the person’s body and cause symptoms to appear.
The most common symptoms of foodborne infection are stomach cramps, diarrhea and
fever.

1:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m.

Friday Saturday

Stomach cramps,
Contaminated food eaten
diarrhea and fever

The symptoms of foodborne infection can show up as soon as a few hours after eating the
contaminated food and as late as a few weeks after eating the contaminated food. Most
symptoms appear 12 to 36 hours after eating contaminated food.

Salmonella and Campylobacter are examples of bacteria that can get into food and cause
foodborne infection.
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 5
Wash, Rinse and Sanitize
It is important to clean dishes, utensils, surfaces and equipment to get rid of pathogens that
cause foodborne illness. Cleaning involves 3 important steps:

1. Washing:
Washing Washing means removing leftover food, waste and grease using hot
water and soap or dish detergent.

2. Rinsing:
Rinsing Rinsing means taking off the soap using clean hot water.

3. Sanitizing:
Sanitizing Sanitizing means lowering the number of harmful
bacteria and other pathogens to safe levels by using heat or
chemicals.

When to Wash, Rinse and Sanitize

Dishes, utensils, surfaces, and equipment must be washed, rinsed and sanitized after
each use
Example 1- After preparing raw chicken
Example 2-After using a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of a soup
Equipment that is being used for a long time, such as a deli meat slicer in a grocery store,
must be washed, rinsed and sanitized at least once every two hours
Grill surfaces, ovens, griddles and other high heat equipment must be cleaned at least
once a day by making sure there is no food or grease left on the equipment and using the
high heat to sanitize

Two Types of Sanitizing

1. Heat Sanitizing

If you use heat to sanitize dishes, utensils, surfaces or equipment when using a machine
dishwasher, the water must be at least 82°C (180°F) or hotter during the sanitizing cycle and
must be sprayed onto the dishes for at least 10 seconds. In your food premises, a dishwasher
must have a display that shows the water temperature when washing and sanitizing.

If you use heat to sanitize dishes, utensils, surfaces or equipment without a dishwasher, the
temperature of the water must be at least 77°C (171°F) and be in contact with the items for at
least 45 seconds. This is very dangerous and your food premises would need to have special
equipment to heat the water to the correct temperature, as 77°C (171°F) is hotter than what
you can get out of a regular tap.

2. Chemical Sanitizing
Sanitizing

By using a solution (mixture) of water and chemicals, you can lower the number of
pathogens on dishes, utensils, surfaces and equipment.

You are allowed to use one of the following three sanitizer

solutions:

Chlorine solution , which is also known as sodium

hypochlorite or bleach, at 100 ppm
Quaternary ammonium solution (quats) at 200 ppm
Iodine solution at 25 ppm

The amount of each type of chemical in a sanitizing

solution is measured in parts per million (ppm). Just as
percent means out of a hundred, parts per million or ppm means out of a
million parts of solution. It is important to mix the correct amount of a chemical and water
when making a sanitizing solution so that it is effective in killing pathogens and will not
damage any equipment.

For example, to make a chlorine solution at 100 ppm, add half a teaspoon of 5.25% chlorine
to every 1 litre of water. 5.25% chlorine means that the chlorine has 5.25% hypochlorite in it.
If you are making your own chlorine solution, look for 5.25% on the label of the bleach
container.

The temperatures for all sanitizing solutions should be 24°C (75°F) or room temperature so
it is best to use room temperature water to make these solutions. Also, all three chemical
sanitizing solutions should be in contact with the dishes, utensils, surfaces or equipment for
at least 45 seconds.
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
Chapter 6
Flow of Food
Flow of Food

The flow of food is a set of steps that food goes through from the time it enters your food
premises until it is served to customers. This chapter will describe each step in the flow of
food and the safe food handling practices you should follow to reduce the risk of foodborne
illness.

Eight Common Steps of the Flow of Food

Receiving

Storage

Defrosting/
Thawing

Preparing

Cooking/
Reheating

Holding
(Hot and Cold)

Cooling

Serving
Receiving

Safe Food Handling Practices

When you get food delivered to your premises, you already check that the correct food item
was delivered and the correct amount was delivered. The following safe food handling
practices will help you also check that you are receiving food safely:

Check the temperature of hazardous food to make sure it is not in the temperature
danger zone between 4°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F)
Frozen food must be received at an internal temperature of -18°C (0°F) or colder
Food that should be refrigerated must be received at an internal temperature of 4°C
(40°F) or colder.
Take the temperature of food deliveries by:
A. Placing the thermometer between packages of food
if packaging is thin such as plastic bags
B. Placing the thermometer between the folds of a
folded package if packaging is thin
C. Opening the packaging and taking an internal
temperature of the food if the packaging is insulating
such as cardboard
Check that the delivery truck is clean and at the correct
temperature
Check that food such as meats, poultry and eggs come from a
government inspected supplier by looking at stamps or tags

Examples of stamps or tags that show these hazardous foods are from government inspected suppliers
Check the best before dates or expiry dates

Best Before Dates tell you what date an item will stay its
best until, as long as it is unopened and stored properly.
Food may still be safe to eat after this date but can lose
some of its nutrition (e.g. Vitamin C content), flavour or
its texture.

Food that stays fresh for less than 90 days must have a
best before date on their packaging. Examples of food that
must have best before dates include eggs, yogurt and
milk. Examples of food that does not need a label include
fresh fruit and vegetables.

An Expiry Date is similar to a best before date, except that

it is used for food that has had vitamins or minerals
added to it and does not stay fresh for long. Food should
not be eaten after its expiry date.

Check that all packaging such as bags, plastic wrap, and lids are
unopened and undamaged
Check food for signs of soft spots, slime, mould, damage, dirt,
insects and rodents
Do not accept unsafe food
Keep receipts for one year from the date of purchase at
your food premises
Do you remember
to look at the best
before date or
expiry date before
using a food or
supplement?
 What to Look for When Receiving Hazardous Food

Type of Food Good Bad

Fresh Meats Firm, moist, and elastic Do not accept meat that is slimy,
(e.g. beef, lamb, sticky or smelly
pork) Do not accept meat with spots of
brown or green
Fresh Poultry Firm Do not accept poultry if it is green
(e.g. chicken, or purple
turkey, duck, Do not accept poultry that has a
goose) bad smell, thick slime or is sticky
Fresh Whole Shiny with bright pink or red gills • Do not accept fish that has a
Fish Firm, smooth flesh strong fishy smell
Elastic to touch • Do not accept fish with brown,
A fresh, mild smell gray or slimy gills
Bright and clear eyes • Do not accept fish with cloudy or
white eyes
Fresh Fish Shiny and freshly cut look • Do not accept fish fillets or other
Fillets, Shucked Firm and elastic flesh seafood if there is an unusual
Shellfish and colour, dark colour, or drying
Other Seafood around the edges
Shellfish Closed shells or shells that close • Do not accept shellfish with shells
when tapped that are partly open and do not
close when tapped
Milk and Dairy All milk, and the majority of dairy • Do not accept, use or sell
Products products must be pasteurized, unpasteurized milk
which means heat treated to kill
pathogens
Exception: Cheeses made from
unpasteurized milk that have been
held at 2°C or colder for over 60
days
Eggs and Egg Grade “A” or Grade “B” quality, • Do not use Grade “C” eggs and
Products clean, uncracked eggs that are ungraded because
Refrigerated at 4°C (40°F) or colder they may not be safe
Grade B eggs can only be used for
baked products
Mushrooms Refrigerated at 4°C (40°F) or colder • Do not accept slimy mushrooms
and exposed to the air
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 7
HACCP: A Food Safety System
What is HACCP?

HACCP (pronounced ha-sip) stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and is a
food safety system. Hazard Analysis simply means knowing what makes food unsafe, such
as harmful bacteria and contamination. Critical Control Points are the safe food handling
practices, outlined in Chapter 6, that help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. With a
HACCP plan, you will learn the specific steps you need to follow to prepare food safely in
your premises.

How HACCP can help you

By creating a HACCP plan, you can be sure you are doing everything you can to protect
your customers from foodborne illness and protect yourself from:

Expensive lawsuits from customers who become sick

Lost business and lost customers
Charges and fines

How to develop a HACCP Plan

Start by selecting a hazardous food item on your menu. Then go through the three basic
parts to creating a HACCP plan:

1. Understand where and how the food item can become unsafe (for more information, see
Chapter 2: Micro-organisms and Chapter 3: Food Contamination).

2. List safe food handling practices, like steps of a recipe, that explain how to handle the
food from the time it enters your premises until it is served ( See Chapter 6: Flow of Food).
Make sure to explain how to prepare the food, who is responsible for each safe food
handling practice, and what equipment is used. Also, make sure the total time any
hazardous food spends in the temperature danger zone, from receiving to service, is less
than two hours.

3. Check that safe food handling practices are being done correctly, making changes to the
list of safe food handling practices if needed. Keeping records and checking them regularly
is a great way to make sure things are always being done correctly. One example of a record
is a temperature log used to write down the internal temperature of food at a buffet every
two hours.
Example of Temperature Log for Buffet Food

Buffet Food Item Time Temperature Staff Member

Hot & Sour Soup 7:00 pm 62°C Jody
Hot & Sour Soup 9:00 pm 61°C Steven

How HACCP Helped Two Restaurant Owners

Sameer and Sonia owned a restaurant that was doing well, but, they wondered if they were
doing everything they could to keep their customers safe.

They decided to create a HACCP plan and chose to focus on the roasted chicken legs
because it was a hazardous food item on their menu that could cause foodborne illness if
not prepared safely.

1.) First, they had the chef write out all the steps for making the chicken, from receiving to
serving. Sameer and Sonia looked at where contamination could happen and when bacteria
could grow throughout the flow of food.

2.) Second, They created a list of steps describing how to make the chicken, using safe food
handling practices to reduce contamination and bacteria (see page 90).

3.) They presented the list of steps to all their staff and
made sure everyone understood how to do each step
correctly. They chose certain employees to be
responsible for each safe food handling practice and
others to make sure that temperature records were
being filled out and showed safe food temperatures.

Since creating a HACCP plan for all of the hazardous

food items on their menu, Sameer and Sonia are
confident that their customers are less likely to get a
foodborne illness from their restaurant.
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 8
Taking Care of a Food Premises

Diary of A Public Health Inspector

Dear Diary,

Today I visited a restaurant and noticed that it smelled a bit weird. There
were many customers and the staff was busy. I went into the basement,
where they stored dishes, and found that sewage had flooded the
basement floor. My shoes were ruined and would have to be thrown out.
As I stood there, looking at my ruined shoes, I saw staff members running
into the basement to take cups from boxes that were not wet. I rushed
back upstairs to ask them why they were still open. They said it was okay
since they were using cups from the dry boxes. I watched staff going
downstairs and then coming back up, leaving wet sewage footprints all
over the restaurant floor. I had to close the restaurant and tell the
customers what had happened. Everyone left angrily, without taking their
food or drink. They knew that their health had been put at risk. When I
spoke to the manager, she did not understand why the restaurant had to
be closed. I asked her to look at the situation from her customer’s point of
view. “If you were eating in a restaurant that had sewage all over the floor
and near the dishes you were eating from, how would you feel?”
Taking Care of Your Food Premises
Premises

Use the following information to keep your food premises in good condition and safe under
the Food Premises Regulation.

Lighting should be bright enough for food

handlers to see and clean all areas. This
includes all cooking, cleaning and serving areas
when the premises is open for business.

Storage space should be large enough

for all food, dishes, and equipment used
in the food premises. Chemicals used for
cleaning should be kept away from food.
Any materials or equipment that is
broken or not used should be removed
from the premises.

Ventilation or exhaust fans

must be over cooking equipment
(e.g. stoves, ovens), dishwashers,
and in each washroom to move
heat, steam, condensation, smoke,
and smells to the outside of the
food premises. Examples of
ventilation include exhaust fans,
ducts, canopies, hoods and filters.
Leaving windows and doors open
is not allowed because it also lets pests come into the food premises.
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
 Chapter 9
Pest Prevention

The Cockroach Hide-0ut

Derek worked at a restaurant that was kept very clean by all of the staff,
but they would sometimes see cockroaches. They cleaned all the floors,
surfaces and even the walls, but they still saw cockroaches. There was
one spot they did not clean, which was under the stove. It was heavy and
almost touching the floor. They thought there was no way for any bugs to
live in such a tight space.

One day, a Public Health Inspector came into the kitchen, and saw a bit of
grease at the bottom edge of the stove. She kicked the stove and out
came a wave of cockroaches. All the bugs were living under one stove.
The stove gave them a safe home and a source of food. Later that day,
the kitchen staff pulled out the stove and cleaned the area carefully. They
called their pest control operator to get help and their pest problem went
away.
Pests

Pests are animals or insects that can spread pathogens to food and food contact surfaces.
They can cause damage to buildings and equipment in a food premises. Many pests only
come out at night and grow in numbers quickly. This means that a small pest problem can
easily turn into a large pest problem. When you have a large pest problem, also known as a
pest infestation, a Public Health Inspector can close your food premises.

The most common pests found in food premises are:

Cockroaches
Flies
Rodents (mice and rats)

Cockroaches

The most common cockroaches in Ontario range in size from 1.2 – 1.6 cm, and are able to
survive with very little food or water. Cockroaches live and breed anywhere that is dark,
warm, moist and hard-to-clean. Cockroaches can carry pathogens such as Salmonella
bacteria and can spread them to food or food contact surfaces. If cockroaches are seen in
daylight, it is a sign of a large pest problem.

The German Cockroach is a common

cockroach found in Ontario
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
Definitions
Anaphylactic Shock A serious form of anaphylaxis that can severely lower blood pressure
and cause fainting, suffocation, coma or death

Anaphylaxis A life threatening allergic reaction

Bacteria Very small living organisms that are found everywhere. Bacteria may
be helpful or harmful. Bacteria are tasteless, odourless and cannot be
seen.

Best Before Date Period of time during which a product stored under proper conditions
will keep its quality and nutritional value

Calibrate A method used to make sure that a thermometer is correctly measuring

temperature

Chemical Intoxication A foodborne illness caused by eating food contaminated with chemicals
such as pesticides or cleaning products

Cleaning Process of physically removing food pieces, waste, grease and dirt by
using hot water and soap

Compliance Inspection An inspection by a Public Health Inspector to make sure that the food
premises is following the Food Premises Regulation.

Commercial Food Grade Containers that have been made for the safe storage of food
Containers

Contamination/ Happens when food becomes unsafe because harmful micro-

Cross-contamination organisms, chemicals or physical objects get into the food.
Contamination of food can happen in three ways: food-to-food,
equipment-to-food, people-to-food

Critical Control Point Safe food handling practices that can reduce or eliminate pathogens or
other contaminants. For example, holding hot food at 60º C (140º F),
holding cold food at 4º C (40º F), and washing hands when needed

Defrost The process of changing a food from the frozen state to a state where
the food is still cold but not frozen solid

Expiry date Similar to a best before date, except it is used on food that have added
vitamins and/or minerals with a short shelf life. Food should not be
Some pages have been removed from this book preview.
Appendix D: Correct Handwashing Procedure Poster
Appendix E: Wash, Rinse and Sanitize in a Three-
Three-
Compartment Sink Poster
 Prepared by:

Health Services Department

Environmental Health Division
905-799-7700
www.peelregion.ca
Revised December 2012
Designed to meet the requirements of the Ontario Food Handler Training Protocol